So it is all over and as I look back over nine months of action and then look at the Premiership table, one haunting question occurs, "What was the point?" All that effort, all that money spent and the Premiership table is almost exactly as any pundit without a club affiliation would have predicted before the season kicked off.
If I go back to my own predictions, Villa failed to break into the top 4 but that was always hope more than expectation, a desperate desire to see the Arsenal-Chelsea-Liverpool-Man Utd monopoly broken. As it was, they had a pretty good shot at doing it and added some spice to the top of the table for half a season. Yes they faded but that shows the danger of European football with a thin squad - Everton and Fulham beware!
The Mancs were an easy call to win the title, especially after the appointment of Scolari. I said that one would end in tears, predicting he would be sacked before Christmas. Not a bad forecast but you didn't have to be a genius to call it. Liverpool and Arsenal ending up trophy-less were also easy enough to predict.
Down at the bottom, I called relegation to be between the three promoted clubs and Boro. Although I thought Fulham might also struggle.
Look at the rest of the table. Every team outside of the four identified in the title are exactly where you would have expected them to be. Everton in the top 5/6; anybody surprised? West Ham just inside the top 10; just as we expected? Man City in mid table; that was always on the cards, big cash injection or not. And so it goes on.
Fulham have surprised us and so have Stoke, which is why I called Woy and Pullis as leading contenders for Manager of the Season. Newcastle and Tottenham, meanwhile have underperformed. Although I bet on Newcastle to go down at Christmas, I didn't see it coming back in August. And Tottenham? Well, before the sale of Barbietop and Keane, I was expecting them, along with Villa, to push hard for a top 4 slot.
And the point of this post? If the division becomes too predictable, interest will inevitably decline. What's the point of playing a 38 game season if only 4 teams are going to finish in surprising positions?
agreed....it might be the best in league in the world as far as attracting top players, money etc etc, but as kevin kegan once said its also the most boring league...as a spurs fan of course i want to see my club break the monopoly, but in all likelihood it will be business as usual next season.
ReplyDeleteHow you feeling about next season? Same old same old?
ReplyDeleteGood question. At the moment yes, but let's see what the transfer window brings. In THEORY, Villa, Tottenham, Everton and City are perfectly positioned on the rails. If the right signings are made...but then I said something VERY similar at this stage last season. As a West Ham fan, I am concerned. It is hard to see scope for progress if Moyes, Redknapp, Hughes and O'Neill do a half decent job over the summer. Then there is Blackburn. I expect Big Spam to achieve a top half finish next season - but he might be at Sunderland.
ReplyDeleteNewcastle just got relegated; I personally think that is pretty spectacular - the biggest relegation in recent history for sure. What do you expect, Stoke to win the league and Man U to go down? The crazy days of old are gone now the game is run by the money men I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI'm a spurs fan and I definitely cannot see us breaking the top four next season, nor Villa nor Everton, but perhaps Man City if they can buy the right sort of player, and Hughes finally comes to life. How do the Hammers fans predict they'll perform under Zola next year?
Arsenal are a league above the rest and Chelsea, Liverpool and ManU are a league above them, I can't see anyone breaking the top 4 for some time and even if someone does it'll only be Arsenal to drop out of it. Should the gap close on Arsenal the closing teams are still a million miles off the top 3...how boring!
ReplyDeleteYeah agreed the outcome is almost what you expect but it has been a roller-coaster season thats for sure! Liverpool were clear at the top and the Rafa rant blew it. Spurs down the bottom and everyone other than Spurs fans were enjoying that! And be fair were all loving the fact Newcastle have gone down!!
ReplyDeleteI think its been an exciting ride for all but bar Newcastle going down the outcome has been predictable. Could be a hell of a lot more boring tho.
"And Tottenham? Well, before the sale of Barbietop and Keane, I was expecting them, along with Villa, to push hard for a top 4 slot."
ReplyDeleteSure you were
P.S. Two wins and a higher league position
It was nice to have a focus on the relegation issues come the end of the season and lovely to see Newcastle go down (there's only so much of the "best fans in the world" crap you can take). Now just hoping they go down again and see if they go back to getting thousands rather than tens of thousands like the last time they were down. Best fans my arse!
ReplyDeleteAs a Spurs fan it was exciting for all the wrong reasons. One of the worrying things was finding myself unsure whether I wanted us to get that last Europe place or not... never had those doubts before and maybe it was down to our shoddy league status for much of the season.
On 1 more note, excellent site! Just had a read of some of your old posts and the debates that followed and you raise some good points, especially about the whole Hammers/Spurs rivalry. Maybe one day idiotic fans (of which we all have too may) will find a way to have a pop at the opposition without resorting to racism and pointless attacks... but probably not for a while.
COYS!
Cheers Mark, keep looking in.
ReplyDelete1217, I was called a Spud on a West Ham forum for repeatedly saying that Tottenham would push on to challenge for a top 4 finish. I nominated Villa to finish above Spurs but said it would be close.
Your boast about finishing level with us is a bit pathetic by the way. Take into account our injuries and how much you have spent and it is a hollow victory.
im a stoke fan an dtbh at the start of the season 17th would of done for any stokie i just hope next season is the same scrap for points good home record and maybe with more quality in the squad a few more away wins however if people keep tipping us for relegation next season i think that will only help us stokies get behind our team and also the squad mentallity for the past few years with pulis at the helm is we can prove those pundits wrong
ReplyDeleteI think that next season will be similar although Fulham are a prime example of a side that has improved considerably and moved to the top of the 'mediocrity division' of our league. West Ham must be careful, wrong buys (or no buys at all) and a few injuries and we could struggle. I'm glad we have Zola and Clarke though, I'm much more confident with those two in charge. Personally, I think Totts will buy - many and expensive this summer and could threaten the top4. It pains me but since Harry took over they have been in top4 form. I think Man City with their joke chairman ('AC Milan bottled it' my arse!) will struggle to sign really good players.
ReplyDeleteFrom Gregor
ReplyDeleteDont altogether agree, if we had avoided injuries to our better players we just might have given fourth place a shot.
Ashton and Cole
Dyer Behrami, Collinson, Parker
Llunga , Upson, Tomkins Lucas
Green
That team would be a match for most when fully fit. It's the lack of quality depth which is the problem.
Hate to say it but the Spuds could give it a go as well.
Sadly a HUGE if Gregor. Ashton AND Dyer fit? It's a bit like Angelina Jolie and Uma Thurmann both turning up at my house and asking to sleep with me simultaneously. It's a lovely idea but...hang on, who is that at the door?
ReplyDeleteFrom gregor
ReplyDeleteIt goes to the point that we have a great first eleven but with no cover for the forwards, if we had not had DDM and Tristan we would have been screwed for much of the season for all their faults, thats why we need to keep them at least until we bring in better, would be a start Tuncay
Tuncay is a good player but 4 goals this season puts him in the Di Michele bracket, a forward who can't score!
ReplyDeleteI disagree Gregor. Necessity is the mother of invention. If we keep Laurel and Hardy there is an excuse not to recruit another forward. Get rid and we have to! Blunderland have jettisoned Cisse already - and he is twice the player of our two combined!